Scorpion
by lesbianbey
Summary: Max Caufield forgot how it felt to go to school without a single friend. — or, max meets victoria in seattle before going to blackwell. (chasefield — canon divergence AU)
1. Fish Outta Water

**title** : scorpion

 **summary** : Max Caufield forgot how it felt to go to school without a single friend. — or, max meets victoria in seattle before going to blackwell. (chasefield au)

 **notes** : can u believe arcadian lesbians exist? anyways here's a fic to cure me of my nanowrimo writer's block. this also makes a lot of astrology references — victoria chase is a scorpio and nothing hurts.

* * *

Max Caulfield forgot how it felt to go to school without a single friend, but here she is, in a new school at the rainy town of the West, away from the only friend she had back at the Bay. However, she assumes that Chloe wants nothing to do with her and ignore her texts, thinking it's just petulant texts about how Max 'left her' and now she has no friends.

Whatever the _fuck_ it is, she's starting over and she doesn't need a guilt trip about it.

(What she doesn't know is that Chloe already apologizes for being a huge bitch, and is trying really hard to contact her so they can keep up a friendship while being a state away. Max would know this, but she doesn't look at her damn texts.)

Once again, Max Caulfield forgot how it felt to go to school without a single friend. She enters a new territory, and it's fucking weird. These kids are different. They aren't too perturbed by Max's brand spankin' new face and aren't scared for their life because the big bad wolf (or the big bad fish, geddit, because Chloe is Max's fish and they're pirates sailing the ocean blue?) is here to back her up. _Tough shit, Maxine,_ she says to herself.

 _Tough-fucking-shit._

The kids leave her alone, of course. There's one kid—she doesn't know the name but apparently she's the big bad bitch of the school, but not Chloe bad or whatever, like _really_ bad—who picks on Max a little and it makes Max a little isolated. Almost a week passes and Max still hasn't made any friends, and she isn't sure if it's gonna happen.

But then, something happens.

"Hey! Leave her alone!" Some girl shouts at the bully that Max never learned the name of...starts with a K or something.

Apparently it makes the bully disappear and Max is all alone until she's not. Her savior looks at her with narrow eyes, but they're not narrow because of negative feelings. Max is sure that this girl - decked in designer clothing and a sash that indicates her role as hall monitor and long ass hair and hoops bigger than her wrist - is sizing her up or is merely interested in Miss Plain Jane over here.

"Hi. You're new right?"

Max is kinda intimidated herself. That's not a question, that's a statement...but she answers anyway - "Yeah, I am."

"I'm Victoria Chase: hall monitor."

"...Max?"

Victoria grins. "Is that a question or is that your actual name?"

"I-It's my actual name," Max stammers.

"Alright Mad Max. You should get to class before the bell rings."

Victoria manages to take Max under her wing and Max feels safe again. Chloe texts again, but Max doesn't answer them. She's too busy hanging out with the coolest and the bitchiest girl in the entire district, and has no time to talk to her old friend. Max gets the star treatment from Victoria all year round, but they bond over their love for art and rock music. Victoria sneaks Max in an art gallery created by a hipster ass photographer named Mark Jefferson. Victoria tells Max about her parents owning a gallery and hopes that one day her art can make it in the Chase Gallery. Max shares her adventures at the Bay and also shares her passion to be an indie photographer, and when Max receives a Polaroid for Christmas, all they do is take pictures and clip them on clothespins around Victoria's room.

Their bond is unbeatable. Victoria is the scorpion that Max needed in her life, knowing how and where to sting, but keeping a cool temperament and never actively trying to hurt Max's feelings.

When they graduate middle school, Victoria shares her big, but heartbreaking news. "I'm going to Arcadia Bay."

Max is extremely sad, and she almost feels for Chloe because she had to leave her fish at the Bay and now her scorpion is leaving her for the Bay. "Why?"

"There's this school that my parents want me to go to...Blackwell Academy. They went when they were kids and now they're sending me there. Apparently some rich family named the Prescotts donated a shitload of money in 1999 so that they can be a boarding school and have dorms and shit. If they didn't have a prestigious arts program, I wouldn't go."

Max almost starts tearing up. She just gained a friend and now she's losing one. Who's gonna be there to save her ass when that bully she never knew the name of starts bullying her again? Who can tell if she actually grew out of that? "Don't worry, Maximillion. I will definitely call you like, everyday."

"I hope." Max stays the night at Victoria's one last time and when she leaves, her father had to tear her away from Victoria.

Max cries in her room, for almost the entire summer. She finally gets the courage to read Chloe's texts.

Chloe: dud i'm so sorry I blew up on you like that. I just...I just lost my dad and losing you too added salt to the wound. It is totes not your fault and I'll do better

Chloe: Max? pls talk to me I need you rn

Chloe: I haven't stopped crying since u left tbh. mom thinks I need to talk to a shrink

Chloe: my mom already got a bf...i'm so pissed off rn...I wish you'd talk to me so I wouldn't have to deal with it alone

Chloe: fuck max I know you're mad but I'd like to hear something

Chloe: hey I was accepted into Blackwell Academy but tbh I haven't cared abt my grades in a min. that's the update on my life

Chloe: sigh...I see you found a new friend so I guess I should give up then lol

Fuck! Max is such a screw up. She should've opened her messages from day one but now she can't actually text Chloe now. What would she say? Would she even...be happy to hear from Max? Probably not - Chloe holds grudges and Max is probably on that shit list.

Max decides not to contact Chloe.


	2. Life Expectancy

For the third time, Max Caulfield forgot how it felt to go to school without a single friend. But, it's not the third time, because after getting her acceptance letter, she can finally attend school with her best friend Victoria Chase all over again. Arcadia Bay is still the same place she remembers - same buildings, same homes, same familiar feeling, same warm weather. It's all nostalgic.

As she moves in, she runs into a short haired, designer clothing wearing girl with familiar narrow eyes and a pout to boot. But those narrow eyes widen and that pout opens into an O, almost instantly. "Maxine Caulfield!"

"Victoria Chase!" Both girls—er, women—hug it out. Max even ignores that her best friend called her Maxine. Never that. "Fuck, it's been so long! And your hair...?"

" _Your_ hair, bitch," Victoria says back. "It fucking works. And you didn't even tell me you were coming here!"

"I wanted to surprise you, but this is good too."

"Max, you know I hate surprises." Max almost forgot that. Some things never change. "You gotta meet my friends, and we gotta set up a date together. We need to catch up a little."

Max meets all of Victoria's friends from some elitist club for popular people and some classmates that Victoria is friendly with, but holy shit there's so many names to match with faces — NathanKateTaylorDanaHaydenJulietLoganTrevorCourtneyStellaAlyssaWarrenDaniel&Steph — it's almost the entire fucking student body.

And then there's Rachel. Max hasn't met her but Victoria says she is missing and some bluenette comes here every damn day to post flyers up. Apparently they've been doing it for six whole months and it's Taylor who thinks it's pathetic. Everyone has already given up, including Rachel's parents, but every time Rachel is brought up in a conversation Nathan shifts his eyes, diverts his eyes somewhere else...as if he's a guilty party...like he knows something. Out of all the friends Max has met, she isn't impressed by Nathan.

Victoria complains about Dictator David, head of security. He's the guard everyone loves to hate and nobody likes. Even sweet ol' Kate has bad words to share about him. No, not those bad words. Kate Marsh would never swear, not even on the bible, and Max admires the hell outta that.

The Vortex kids get high almost everyday. Max almost forgot how Hayden sounds when he isn't high on some substance. It's funny though, but she likes him...respects him even. He's a little flamboyant, and Max respects that too.

The highlight of her fast times at Blackwell High is being the stellar student inside Mark Jefferson's class. Victoria kisses the ground he walks on, and apparently, so does Max. He's much more charming in person and he believes in Max enough to push her into applying for the Everyday Heroes' contest. She doesn't enter because she wants Victoria to win, and also because she believes she's a fucking amateur.

"No the fuck you aren't, Caulfield," Victoria says. "Enter that fucking contest and let me have _some_ competition."

Only she doesn't get the chance to. October 7th, 2013 is the day Maxine Caulfield's life takes a sharp turn, and holy shit, it's a doozy. She enters the bathroom only to hide from a mid-psychotic break Nathan Prescott. Should she tell him that he's in the wrong bathroom though? She doesn't get to, because the mysterious bluenette that Victoria details on enters the bathroom. "Check every perimeter as my step-ass would say," She quips. "Now let's talk bidness."

It's a series of events that causes Max to witness Nathan pull out a gun, and she's about to jump up and save the day until Nathan shoots her and has another serious psychotic break.

What happens next is...heartbreaking.

BREAKING: Blue haired teenager found dead in girls' school bathroom, suspect in custody

Blue haired teenager — Chloe Elizabeth Price, born March 11th, 1994, Max's ex-best friend, drug dealer, Dictator David's stepchild, once a stellar student at Blackwell Academy, and a badass lesbian — found dead in Blackwell Academy bathroom, suspect — Nathan Prescott, details unknown to Max, and frankly, she doesn't give a shit — in custody — admits to crimes including the "disappearance" of Rachel Dawn Amber, who was also found dead at the American Rust Junkyard — Mark Jefferson is in holding after being accused of the sexual assault and death of many girls at the Bay, possibly was hoping to pick another victim for the Everyday Heroes Contest—

It's too fucking much. The school immediately goes on lockdown. Taylor Christensen can't bring herself to stay inside her dorm, because that was Rachel's old dorm. Victoria Chase lost an idol and a friend; she hoped Max would meet her one day. The entire school is shaken by Chloe and Rachel's deaths, moreso Rachel than Chloe due to Rachel being immensely popular. Most of the Vortex kids can't bring themselves to sympathize with Nathan, and neither does Victoria, when they find out Nathan is an untreated bipolar schizophrenic who is currently awaiting trial as an adult, who pleads guilty but not an insanity plea. He knew exactly what was happening. Students can't sympathize with Jefferson either, a psychopath who abused and killed girls for their innocence - Rachel being a victim to this as well as many other girls.

Kate is also shaken, after finding out she was going to be next had she attended that Vortex party last week. Victoria was also next, and Max too, and Chloe would've been next too...but it's too late for her.

Importantly, Max lost a best friend, someone she should've contacted the minute she got to the Bay again. She can't even attend Chloe's funeral, because she might get a look from Joyce Price-Madsen, a judging look of course. She might be kicked out or something. She couldn't even support Victoria when she goes to Rachel's proper burial. She stays inside her dorm, crying most of the time, looking back at the texts that Chloe sent her from 2008 to 2009, and she didn't respond to any single one of them.

Why can't she just rewind time and go back to keep a friendship with both Chloe and Victoria?

"You knew Chloe," Victoria says after a silence. Both of them are sitting in Max's room, since Max refuses to leave her room and Victoria wants her best friend right now. "I knew her too."

Max raises both eyebrows. "Why didn't you tell me it was _Chloe_ hanging up those posters?"

"I didn't know our worlds would be _that_ small, Maxie," Victoria sighs.

"How did you know her?"

Victoria runs a hand through her hair. "We...had a short fling."

It surprises Max, but it shouldn't. The haircut should be an indication. Hell, straight girls aren't even _that_ stylish. "Why didn't you tell me you were gay?"

"It's not a big deal, Max. I'm not even out to any of the Vortex kids...not even Nathan. Steph knows, but that's because she's a dyke too." Max goads her to continue, knowing Victoria long enough to know she isn't finished yet. "We had a good thing going until she met Rachel Amber. She dumped me and pursued her and..,as much as I love Rachel, she used Chloe. I don't know what she used her for, but she wasn't as good as everyone said she was. She wasn't really into Chloe, not like how I was. She had flings with a drug dealer and Jefferson for fuck's sake. I knew about the drug dealer the entire time...never Jefferson until someone told me."

"That's gross."

"That's gross men for ya," Victoria snorts.

Max sits there in silence, and Victoria lets her.

* * *

The school doesn't mourn for long. The student body agrees to name the drama department after Rachel, and both Dictator David and Principal Wells quit. It's different but Max is happy to see them both go. Max keeps up her friendship with Victoria - apparently Victoria coming out has brought them closer...weirdly closer. They usually sleep next to each other, taking turns on who's dorm room to sleep in next. Max loves the sensation of being Victoria's little spoon to her big spoon. She's enjoying Victoria's hugs and touches a lot more now. It would be normal friend behavior, if Steph didn't know of Victoria's lesbianism.

"You like Victoria," Steph says to Max, and Max doesn't even deny it.

It's Victoria's birthday party, and Max tries hard to not let Steph's words affect her but holy shit, Victoria's _glowing_. She says it's the first birthday since she moved here where she's 100 percent sober, and the reason being is because Vortex activities have ceased since Nathan's imprisonment and no one has the biting urge to chew ecstasy tablets anymore. Victoria enjoys her gifts, including a necklace she received from Max - a gold plated scorpion. Victoria laughs. "Jeez, Maximillion. Make my Scorpioness more blatant."

"I got a Virgo one, ok Vicks? We can be matching besties."

"You're such a dork," Victoria smiles. "But you're my dork and I love you for it."

Max doesn't do anything about her feelings for Victoria until there's a Christmas party at the Rachel Amber drama wing, where Principal Green allows the kids to have sparkling cider this one time (and confiscates any and all flasks and "water" bottles). Max is wearing an ugly Christmas garb and Victoria has one, but in Gucci. Max wants to laugh, but Steph's words from Victoria's birthday bash rings in her head and it's so fucking annoying.

Max is standing next to Victoria when she notices they're standing under a mistletoe. "Who put this here?" Victoria inquires.

"Just kiss the girl for hell's sake," Steph calls out.

Max blushes even more when everyone chants "kiss the girl" and she has no choice but to kiss Victoria right on her lips. She can taste peppermint from the candy cane Victoria was eating earlier, or maybe that's her lip gloss too. Who cares. Max is kissing Victoria under a goddamned mistletoe that was totally planned by the demon Stephanie Gingrich herself.

But she has to thank Steph. Without that damn push, Max will still be friendzoned...and that would've been a problem. "Wow, Max."

"Victoria, I like you."

"All that from a kiss?" Victoria jokes, but she's relieved as hell. Everyone is, actually. "I'm also kinda into you, Maximillion."

Max rolls her eyes, and then playfully glares at Steph, knowing this is her doing. But then Victoria grabs her chin and kisses Max once again and it's so sweet.


End file.
